Taz Caracal

Taz Caracal began life as a privately owned house pet. He was declawed and neutered at a young age, then raised to live on a glassed-in porch. He would sit on a ledge and watch television with the family through a big glass window. They got him a cat breakaway collar, designed to come off if under extreme pressure; this was an excellent choice, since they found it hanging more than once from the porch's ceiling fan. Taz was very outgoing in his youth, even participating in costume in a Halloween parade.

As he got older and more aggressive, Taz was no longer allowed near the children. He became more food aggressive, and would give his owner trouble when she tried to clean up the mess in his area. When they had to move to Georgia where wild animals are banned as pets, the family decided to find a new home for Taz. When they contacted the Conservators' Center, Aretha Franklin Caracal was living by herself, so it seemed an ideal situation to see if the two could become companions.

Taz was very upset and angry at being left at the Conservators' Center by his family. He did not like anyone in his cage for any reason. He would hiss and snarl, punch and threaten to leap on cage cleaners. Over time he got so he would simply go to another area and grumble, but he was not happy.

One day, a staff member was sitting in cage visiting with Aretha Franklin. Taz approached them, stood up and put his face right next to the staff member's. After a tense moment, he made baby caracal chirruping noises, got down, and began to limp in an exaggerated fashion. Staff members took him to the vet where they discovered that he was in severe pain from a poor declawing. Three surgeries later, Taz was a much happier, mellower cat.

Taz Caracal is the first stop on the tour path at the Conservators' Center. He frequently will come out to greet visitors, strutting along the edge of his grassy enclosure and trilling constantly. Tour groups learn how to speak to him and, more often than not, he politely responds to their attempts at communication.

Taz has been adopted by
     Leigh Morton
You can also adopt me, please.
Won't you help feed me for a day, a week or a month?

---